Game over: boy arrested for marijuana, Xbox theft

Veronica Rocha

Police arrested a 17-year-old Eagle Rock boy Sunday when they found him hiding on a rooftop after he allegedly stole electronic gaming equipment and a marijuana plant.

The boy, whose name wasn’t released because he’s a minor, was taken into custody on suspicion of obstructing justice, receiving stolen property and burglary, according to Glendale police reports. He was later released to his parents.

The owner of the stolen valuables, who lives in Illinois, was visiting a friend for a couple of weeks and wanted to meet some locals, so he headed to downtown Glendale, according to police reports.

He met the boy and two other men Saturday night near In-N-Out on Brand Boulevard and invited them over to his friend’s home on the 300 block of East California Avenue to play video games and smoke marijuana, according to police.

After hanging out for about 45 minutes, the group left after the owner told them he was going to get food.

When he returned just after 2 a.m. Sunday, he noticed two Xbox games consoles, controllers, two iPods, an Apple laptop, a marijuana plant and drug paraphernalia were stolen, according to police reports. His personal laptop and $100 in cash were also reported stolen.

At about 5 a.m. the same day, police were notified of a boy who had tried to sell an Xbox to a Glendale resident in an alley less than a block away from the home, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Police spotted the boy sitting on the roof of a home on Wilson Avenue and asked him to come down, but he refused because he was scared, according to police reports. Police eventually pulled him down from the roof and handcuffed him.

The boy reportedly told police that “he just made a mistake and should have never come to Glendale.”

They found a guitar case, marijuana plant and four bags containing three laptops and Xbox in the back of an apartment building on Wilson, according to reports.